1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recliner chairs, and more particularly to headrest support assemblies which can be used in recliner chairs to move and orient a headrest between a retracted (non-use) positioning and a deployed (use) positioning when the chair is shifted between an upright and a reclined state.
2. The Prior Art
Movement chairs such as recliner and incliner chairs which include headrest support assemblies that can move supported headrests between retracted and deployed positionings when the chairs are shifted between upright and reclined states are well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 369,558, 2,884,992, 2,975,826, 2,984,293, 2,996,332, 3,074,758, 3,140,117, 4,188,062 and 4,451,081. However, the known headrest support assemblies either operate to swing the headrests from a position within the backrest frame to a position above the frame by following an arc behind the frame, thus necessitating that the chair be located at a relatively large distance from a rearward wall, or they operate to move the headrests upwardly from within the backrest frame through an opening in the top of the backrest frame, which means that the frame will have an exposed opening that will be rather unsightly. Most of the known headrest support assemblies support the associated headrests in a rigid fashion, which means that the headrests cannot move or tilt in a resilient manner upon contact by the head of an occupant. Thus they cannot provide the ultimate in comfort to a user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a headrest support assembly for a recliner (incliner) chair that is constructed such that when in a retracted condition, it will support the headrest in a position over the top of the backrest frame of the chair (thus covering the opening constructed therein) and facing upwardly, and when in a deployed condition, will support the headrest in a position spaced above and forwardly of the top end of the backrest frame and reoriented so as to face forwardly of the chair.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a headrest support assembly which includes a spring means to assist in shifting the headrest support assembly into a deployed condition.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a headrest support assembly which, when deployed, can movably (tiltably) support the headrest such that it will resiliently tilt upon rearward pressure applied by the head of an occupant.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a headrest support assembly which is useable with the double-shift carriage mechanism for a full recline incliner chair as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,701.